Barcelona (2)

31012012

While in Barcelona I caught up with some friends. I’d met MJ on a train about a year ago on the way back from Castellón. She’s from Don Quixote country, living and working in Barcelona within an Opus Dei community. We have some interesting conversations where she encourages me to read the Pope’s writings and I chat about what I’m reading in the Bible.

Wandering through the Cathedral MJ realised what I meant when I said that I don’t eat Christ’s body in the comunion. She was so distraught for me, pleading me to more profoundly know Christ. but it actually a really great conversation because for a while we’ve been gently teasing at the differences but I’ve been struggling to show why they matter. So to be able to stand in the cathedral and talk about what it means to say we have a different understanding of Grace and to have the emblems before us, really gave meaning to our discussion. I’m hoping for some more good conversations as soon as I can get the energy to put in all into written spanish…

On the other hand, we got the chance to catch up with Whittens who are serving in a church in Poble Nou, Barcelona. It was awesome spending some time with their family, and heading off to church on the Sunday to meet the Giffords and a who rat of other people I’ve only heard of in prayer letters – and sing Nikki Chiswell songs in Spanish – so random!

On the overnight bus out of Barcelona, with a slightly sprained ankle (stepping off a kerb that afternoon) I was surrounded by a mob of 14year old highly hyped boys from Zaragoza, incredibly excited about their impending flight… for the whole 4 hours of the bus trip it took to arrive at the airport. But drifting in and out of sleep I made a plan. To return to Barcelona. Possibly for a month of TESOL certification? Could I swing a theological subject up here? Anything to get to know the place better….